The present invention generally relates to medical devices for the delivery of fluids transluminally. The fluid delivery system takes the general form of an elongated medical device guidewire and thus enjoys the advantageous features of a guidewire, especially its maneuverability and relatively small external diameter when compared with catheter systems typically utilized for fluid delivery procedures. The guidewire fluid delivery system of this invention includes a through lumen that is in fluid-passing communication with a passageway which is generally co-extensive with an elongated coil component of the guidewire system. Fluid passing through the through lumen exits the guidewire fluid delivery system at any number of selected delivery locations, typically along the coil, which can include at the distal tip of the guidewire.
During the course of various medical treatments and procedures, it is essential or desirable to deliver fluids to specific locations within the body. Such procedures are, in general, well-known, and a variety of catheter devices are available for achieving fluid delivery in this regard. Typically, devices to accomplish these types of fluid delivery procedures require a system that combines a steerable guidewire and a separate fluid-delivery catheter which is guided in place by the steerable guidewire.
More specifically, a typical fluid delivery procedure incorporates the use of a generally solid guidewire in combination with the use of a fluid-delivery catheter. A guidewire is a device having excellent steerability and has a particularly narrow diameter, thereby facilitating its insertion into body passageways. Guidewires are generally designed to be maneuverable through narrow, tortuous and/or branching body passageways. Once inserted to the desired location, a guidewire provides the track over which a catheter then passes until the catheter is positioned along a pathway which is virtually the same as that of the inserted guidewire. In essence, the lumen of the catheter is threaded over the guidewire. Typically, the catheter lumen also serves as the passageway for delivery of fluids to the desired location within the body. Accordingly, before fluid delivery can actually occur, it is necessary to carefully remove the guidewire from the body and hence from out of the lumen of the fluid-delivery catheter.
This type of fluid delivery system accordingly requires three basic steps: insertion or implantation of the steerable guidewire, passage of the fluid-delivery catheter over the inserted guidewire, and removal of the guidewire from out of the lumen of the thus implanted or inserted catheter. The catheter is then ready for fluid delivery therethrough. Each of these steps must be done carefully and requires a noticeable amount of time, even for the most skilled surgeon. In addition, because the fluid-delivery catheter must fit over the steerable guidewire, the profile of the combination delivery system is significantly larger than the external diameter or profile of the steerable guidewire itself. Because of this, these types of combination systems are limited in their applications. They are generally not suitable for very narrow passageways, such as especially remote vessel locations and locations within the brain.
Accordingly, there is a need for a medical device fluid delivery system which has an especially thin profile or diameter to enable it to safely pass to and/or through very narrow and/or particularly delicate locations. It would also be advantageous to avoid a multiple-step insertion procedure in favor of a procedure whereby fluid delivery is accomplished directly by a device having the properties of a steerable guidewire. In other instances, it is advantageous that such a fluid-delivery steerable guidewire be used in association with a catheter positioned thereover in an arrangement in which the catheter performs a specific function, such as an angioplasty procedure, while the steerable guidewire remains in place and delivers needed fluids, such as blood or blood components, to a location distal of the lesion or the like being treated during an angioplasty procedure or the like. It would also be useful if such a steerable guidewire system could be provided which has the ability to distally remove fluids from a location within the body.
In summary, the present invention achieves these objectives and provides advantageous results along these lines by providing a guidewire having the capability to pass fluid therethrough. The elongated medical device guidewire having fluid delivery and removal capabilities combines an elongated corewire surrounded at least in part by an elongated coil. A tubing member or sleeve generally covers the elongated coil and is made of a material which prevents passage of fluid, particularly liquids, therethrough, except at a designated location or at designated locations which can include an area of the coil that is distal of the distal edge of the tubing member. Through the use of an appropriate handle assembly, a fluid can be delivered into the fluid-delivery guidewire whereby the fluid flows between the elongated corewire and the tubing member or sleeve and generally along the elongated coil until reaching the delivery location or locations at which the fluid passes out of the fluid-delivery guidewire.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved guidewire fluid delivery system and procedure for using the system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved guidewire fluid delivery system through which fluids can be transferred without the need for a catheter positioned thereover.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved medical device guidewire which includes means for the passage of fluids through the guidewire device while utilizing a solid corewire.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a guidewire fluid delivery system wherein fluids generally follow the elongated coil of the guidewire device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved procedure for treating internal body conditions by fluid delivery or removal through a guidewire itself and without requiring either a catheter to be passed thereover or removal of the guidewire before fluid flow can be initiated.
These and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be clearly understood through a consideration of the following detailed description.